Hatchette buries hatchet in Amazon's head

Big publisher Hachette stepped up the pressure on Amazon and Kindle when it said it wants to choose an e-book pricing scheme that fits with the AppleiPad model.

Macmillan persuaded Amazon to let it price its e-books for the Kindle above $9.99 last week. But even so, Macmillan books have not yet re-appeared on the Amazon site.

According to reports, Hachette sent a missive to all its book outlets saying that it preferred to price books using the Amazon model.

Publishers are worried that they’ll end up with best sellers going for a song as e-books.

They’ve all still got it the wrong way round. An e-book reader is a means to an end, not the end itself. That’s despite what Twitter luminary Stephen Fry said when the Apple iPad was launched.

“It’s transcendentally smooth and fast. It’s astounding. God, it’s beautiful. The display is stunning. I am in love with it and am drooling in anticipation at being able to buy one. I want to fondle it and lick it. In fact I am going to run away with it now.”